One of the diseases that affect public health is multiple sclerosis. We often consider the forgetfulness of elderly people to be sclerosis, and we tend to have a light-hearted attitude towards it. In fact, multiple sclerosis is a complex disease and frequent reason for neurologic disability of young people. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease, which results in distortion of neurotic system as well as physical and emotional condition of the patient (Leary & Thompson, 2005).

According to the statistics, over 200 thousand people with multiple sclerosis are those at the age of 20-40, which is the main period of labor activity. Contemporary medicines help to slow down the progression of the disease, but the medical treatment should be continuous. It would take many years of medical treatment to cure patients with multiple sclerosis, while the diseased should somehow combine the application of medicines with their daily life style (Leary & Thompson, 2005).

As for the prognosis, it cannot be measured at once. A good prognosis is the beginning of the illness in a young age, and the period when the exacerbation takes place in the first years of the disease. After the exacerbation, the patient’s kinetic functions revive. A bad prognosis means constant exacerbations, during which the cerebellum and the spinal chord are affected.

After the patient is diagnosed, the average age of life comprises 35 years. In 16 years the diseased will be in need of someone’s assistance. Only a small number of patients with multiple sclerosis are not able to move several years after the beginning of the disease.

As for the fatality rate, around 100 thousand people die of multiple sclerosis every year. It mainly concerns elderly people. However, recently there have been monitored cases when people between 30-40 years also have multiple sclerosis, and some of them tend to die soon after the beginning of the illness. It proves that nowadays this disease greatly affects public health.